Pain.
Lyra's head throbbed like a drum, each beat echoing through her skull. She tried to move, only to feel her new body resist her. Heavy. Awkward. Alien. Her arms, thick and soft, pressed against her sides. Her legs wobbled beneath her weight. Her stomach protruded more than she remembered in any life.
She froze.
Her hands trembled as they brushed against her cheeks, her hair, her torso. Every inch of her body felt strange, alien. She bent over a small puddle nearby.
The reflection staring back made her gasp.
A fat, dirt-covered beast girl looked at her. Tangled hair fell over her shoulders. Puffy cheeks and a wide nose framed a face she barely recognized. Two small, dull horns protruded from her hair. She looked grotesque… to anyone else.
"…What… what happened to me?"
A familiar mechanical chime echoed in her mind.
[Body Analysis Complete]
[Host: Lyra]
[Current Body Rating: 2/100]
[First Task Unlocked: Clean Yourself and Present Yourself at the Tribe Square]
Lyra blinked. "Two out of a hundred? Barely?" Her voice cracked with disbelief.
She had survived zombies, betrayal, starvation… and now she was reduced to this? A tribe's laughingstock.
Her breath hitched, but she refused to cry. Not now. She had survived death once;
she could survive this .
The village was small but bustling. Houses carved from trees, wooden walkways, and wide open spaces. Beastmen of every kind moved with purpose, proud and alert. Wolf, lion, fox, and eagle forms mingled, their strength and elegance obvious.
Then there was Lyra.
Barefoot. Dirty. Round. Pathetic in the eyes of the tribe.
Whispers followed her like a shadow.
"She's out here again?"
"Ugh… can't they just leave her in her hut?"
"Why does she even bother?"
Lyra forced herself to breathe. She had survived the apocalypse — she could survive ridicule from a few animals.
A sharp voice cut through the murmurs.
"Girl!" The chief's tone was cold, full of disgust. "You were ordered to clean yourself before coming here."
"I did," Lyra replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
The chief raised a brow. "Did you roll in mud afterward?"
The tribe erupted in laughter. Children pointed. Warriors smirked. Lyra's cheeks burned.
Her fists clenched. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "Then I'll do it pr
operly… like it or not."
Lyra trudged toward the river outside the village. The water was cold but crystal clear. She knelt, dipping her hands in and scrubbing frantically. Dirt, grime, and remnants of the forest clung stubbornly to her fur and skin. Slowly, some of it washed away, revealing the faint shape of the girl she had once been — or could become.
Halfway through, she sensed a presence.
Eyes. Piercing, golden, predatory.
She turned.
On the riverbank stood a tall wolf beastman. Black hair, golden eyes, muscular frame. His ears twitched. His tail flicked with annoyance. His gaze burned into her like a blade.
"…What are you staring at?" she asked, trying to sound confident.
"You're making the river dirty," he said coldly. "Fat and filthy. Don't pollute the water other warriors drink from."
Lyra's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
He smirked slightly, flicked his ears, and turned away as if she wasn't even worth responding to.
[New Character Flag Triggered]
[Male Lead 1: Kael — Wolf Prince]
[Relationship: Hostile (-20)]
Lyra groaned inwardly. Of course. The first male lead in this world had to insult her.
By the time Lyra finished cleaning, she stood a little taller. Her skin looked brighter, her hair less tangled. She felt… lighter.
[First Task Complete]
[Reward Received]
[Host Body Rating: 2 → 5]
It wasn't much, but it was something. She could see the faint shape of what she could become. Strength. Beauty. Respect.
And maybe, just maybe, she could make Kael eat his words one day.
Lyra took a deep breath, letting the river's chill wash over her. She raised her head to the forest and village beyond.
Her journey had begun.
No longer a weak, pitied girl. Not anymore.
The beast ins
ide her stirred.